Do Barracuda Bite Back??

[DepthCharge]

I ate some smoked baracudda once a long time ago and i thought it was good. but, hell, smoking makes mullet taste good(i mean smoking the fish). it was prepared by someone with experience in handling baracudda meat.

I have a hard time keeping the bastards lit What's your secret?

 

[Deep VI]

I've never had one come back at me. They are tasty cooked however you like them. I shoot them in the Gulf and we don't have a Cig problem. From what I've read, it's a tropical water problem. They pick it up from their diet of reef fish that feed on coral. As for shot placement, I aim for right behind the gill plate on the lateral line, to break the spine. To dispatch them, go in the eye and angle back about 45 degree's. Fish around a bit to find the brain, you'll know when the shutter and go limp. Happy hunting!

 

[FredT]

Cudas are kind of like 6 month old dobermans. All teeth, no attitude.

We take them on the MS and LA oil rigs with little poisoning risk. The rules if planning to take 'cuda are simple, and similar to those for targeting trigger fish. Bring a separate ice chest for them, and gut them as soon as you can get a hand on them. The faster they are gutted the better they taste. On the rigs I'll gut at the safety stop, or the first horizontal cross-member, as soon as I've cut the throat to bleed them. Pack ice in the body cavity, as with any fish, to rapidly cool it and get it in the chest as fast as possible

Very good if staked and grilled or baked. Jeanne also likes them smoked or jerked.

 

[Baracuda Smile]

I bite back tough, so you better shoot me through the reg.

 

[SteelBait]

Was on a three tank dive awhile back and on the third tank I had not seen anything worth shooting. This last tank dive was on a bridge span and a really big cuda had been shadowing me pretty much the whole dive, it was almost like he was daring me to shoot him. I had always wondered what it would be like to shoot one, so just before time to go up I shot him. In this case it was almost a BIG mistake! I shot him just above the top of the steel bridge span and the first thing he does is of course try to get away from the thing that was holding him, another words away from me. The problem was he gets looped around a steel beam so even though he's still trying to get away this means he's coming right for me! Just as I was debating wether or not to ditch my gun he miraculously unloops himself and I immediatly hit the air on my BC to get him away from the steel structure. When I got him back to the boat the captain say sarcastically could you have shot a bigger on. I had drastically underestimated his size, he was at least four feet long. As far as the meat I personally don't care for it, the cartiledge that runs through it turns me off, but my brother ate every bit of it. Since I don't really like the meat I doubt I'll shoot another one unless i get really really bored again.

 

[nepolean77]

I had a run in with the Cuda when I was free diving on Australias barrier reef they came in fast slowed right down there was 8 of them each one eyeballed me as they went passed then took off like bullets that put the wind up me more than a shark,evil looking buggers and I wouldnt want to upset them.Im told they taste awful so why risk a fight u would not win.

 

[apneadreams]

cuda is delish. it smells like **** though. after you shoot the fish gut it and cut the gills out in the water (they wont bite) steak the meat and grill it.

 

[shawnferd]

I had one charge me on a Keys reef once. Was not spearing, obviously, but he had a fishermans lure caught in his mouth and dragging about 6ft of monofilament. so, i just assumed he was having a bad day after his fishing expeience and was looking to blow off some steam at the nearest land person. They just remind me of curious puppies and they will follow you around but are not aggressive.

I ate some smoked baracudda once a long time ago and i thought it was good. but, hell, smoking makes mullet taste good(i mean smoking the fish). it was prepared by someone with experience in handling baracudda meat.

Where do you find paper big enough to roll a mullet in? Zig-Zags or a blunt?

 

[FredT]

Actually something else came to mind about 'cuda.

They are excellent to practice stalking techniques on. If you can swim up behind one of them close enough to pinch the lower lobe of the tail without them realizing you are there before you touch them, you are doing it right. You will also be amazed at how quickly a 'cuda can "change ends."

 

[TwoBitTxn]

Actually something else came to mind about 'cuda.

They are excellent to practice stalking techniques on. If you can swim up behind one of them close enough to pinch the lower lobe of the tail without them realizing you are there before you touch them, you are doing it right. You will also be amazed at how quickly a 'cuda can "change ends."

Made me laugh, but it also sounds like a good way to get bit.